Tongue-lock.



A. DUBE.

TONGUE LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 16, 1911.

MIH'IHHHIIIM.

m rea- COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON, v. c.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

3 unis-SHEET 1.

EM "IIIHHIHIW Dub A. DUBE.

TONGUE LOOK.

APPLIOATION FILED 001216, 1911.

1 ,O22 ,932, Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. DUB E.

TONGUE LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.16, 1911.

Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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Al red Dub COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

avoided.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED mum, on EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA.

TONGUE-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 16, 1911.

Serial No. 654,886.

10 skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' This invention relates to wagons and carriages, and more especially to the locks for the tongues thereof; and the object of the 15 same is to produce an attachment adapted for application to an ordinary farm or road wagon whereby the excessive lateral vibration of the tongue due to the wheels encountering obstructions in the roadway is This object is accomplished by mechanism hereinafter described which looks the front axle and tongue to the reach and holds it so looked as long as the team progresses in a direct line, and by means 25 of which the act of steering the team out of that line automatically unlocks the front axle and'tongue and permits the latter to swing to either side, whereupon the lock is reengaged automatically and so held until 30 the team is again steered back to a direct line.

The preferred form of carrying out my invention is set forth in detail in the following specification and claims, and shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a plan view and Fig. 2 a side elevation of this attachment complete; Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of the front axle and fifth wheel and the mechanism carried thereby; Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the lock whose bolt cooperates with the specific form of fifth wheel shown in Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 are sections on the lines 55 and 66 of Fig. 4:; Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a plan view and an elevation of the mechanism contained within the tubular neck yoke bar, the casing of the latter in both instances being shown in section; Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged cross sections on the lines 99'and l010 respectively of Fig. 7; Fig. 11 is a still further enlarged detail to be referred to hereinafter, being taken about on the line 11-11 of Fig. 9; Fig. 12 is a perspective detail of the king bolt.

The well known parts of an ordinary farm or road wagon shown herein may be briefly described by reference letters as follows: The wheels W support the front axle A from which a fifth wheel F projects to the rear, and from the king bolt K in said axle the reach R leads to the rear through said fifth wheel as usual. has hounds H converging toward the front, and in them is secured the tongue T to whose forward'end is connected the bar N of the neck yoke. All these parts may be Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

Said axle also of the ordinary or any preferred construction and will need no further description excepting with reference to my invention as set forth in detail below.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings by reference numerals, the fifth Y wheel F shown best in Fig. 3 carries a number of pins or upright bolts. 1 suitably spaced from each other around its curved edge, and on each bolt is by preference mounted a rollerthe whole constituting a rack 2 which may be engaged at any point by the lock next to be described. Said lock,

best seen in Fig. 4, preferably consists of topand bottom plates 3 and 4 spaced apart by collars 5 through which pass bolts 6 that 1 are led upward through and support the device from and beneathlthe reach R as will be clear; and between said plates are, disposed front and rear pairs of upright rollers 7 and between said collars pairs of horizontal rollers 8, all of which form a guide way for the locking bolt 9. The latter is projected normally forward by means of an expansive coiled spring 10 whose front end presses against the rear end of the bolt and whose rear end is secured to a bracket 11 depending from the reach R as shown, although any other suitable form of spring could be used for this purpose. As best seen in Fig. 1 in dotted lines. when the spring ;i

10 projects the bolt 9 forward the front end of the latter is'engaged between two of the rollers of the rack carried by the fifth wheel and therefore the latter (and with it the axle and tongue) is locked to the reach so that it cannot turn; and without means for retracting this locking bolt, my invention would not be complete Depending from the lower plate 4 are lugs 12 connected by a cross pin 13 on which is pivoted an uprightlever 14 whose upper end passes through a slot 15 in said plate and extends thence upward and passes loosely through a hole 16 in the locking bolt 9, and it follows that when the lower end of this lever is moved forward its upper end will move to the rear and the bolt 9 will be disengaged from the rack 2. For the purpose of moving this lever by hand, it may be provided with any suitable hand-piece 17, and to the latter may be connected a chain or cord leading to within reach of the driver although this detail is not illustrated in the drawings. However, the automatic disengagement of the locking bolt. from the rack 2 is effected by steering the team to one side or the other in a manner which will now be described.

T o the front end of the tongue is connect ed by means of a bolt 20, a ring 21, or both, a band 22 which encircles the center of the cross bar N of the neck yoke, the extremities carrying bails 23 from which chains (not shown) lead to the collars of the team in a manner which is usual in harnessing a team to a wagon of this character. In the present instance, however, I make the neck bar N tubular as best seen on Sheet 3 of the drawings, and throughout the length of its casing 24 extend parallel rods 25 whose contiguous ends are connected by rock levers 26 each mounted rigidly at its center upon a horizontal rock shaft 27 whose ends extend out to and are journaled in the casing of the neck yoke bar N and are attached to the bails 23. Said rods 25 carry eyes 28 through which slide loosely two rods 29 having heads 30 as best seen in Figs. 8 and 11, and the other ends of these rods are mounted upon an upright pin 31 at one extremity of a bellcrank lever 32 which is pivoted at its angle at 33 within the neck yoke bar N. Fig. 11 shows the preferred shape of the aperture through each of the eyes 28, made conical from both ends of the latter inward toward its center so that the rod 29 cannot bind therein, and this view also shows that the head 30 of said rod maybe made in the shape of a nut screwed thereon to render it adjustable. To the inner end of the bell crank 32 is loosely connected a link 34 whose body extends to the rear and passes loosely through a hole 35 in the casing 24 of the neck yoke bar N, and the rear end of this link is provided with a lateral loop 36 as best seen in Fig. 7. To this loop is connected the front end of a flexible connection which leads thence to the lower end of said lever 14 which actuates the locking bolt 9; and the construction of this flexible connec tion by preference is as follows: The numeral 40 designates a rod having an eye 41. at its front end loosely engaging said loop 36, the body of this rod being led along over the tongue, downward through a slot 41 therein as best seen in Fig. 2 to a hook 42 at its rear end which is loosely engaged with an eye 43 at the front end of the slide 44. The latter by preference is a round rod passing horizontally through the front axle A and through an eye in the king bolt K, and its rear end in turn carries another loop 45. With this loop is engaged a hook or eye 46 at the front end of another rod 47, and the rear end of the latter is loosely connected as at 48 With the lower end of said lever 14 as seen in Fig. 2. I prefer this form of flexible connection between the neck yoke bar and the locking bolt, because by leading it through the axis of the king bolt it will operate as described below whether the tongue stands in line with the reach or is deflected laterally therefrom.

I do not wish to be confined to the strict details of construction above described, as this specification sets forth only the preferred embodiment of my idea; and to this end the sizes, shapes, proportions and materials of parts may be modified at will, and such additions thereto or changes therein may be adopted as form no departure from the principle involved.

In operation, the team is hitched to the whiflle-tree (not shown) as usual and the collars of the two horses are connected with the bails 23 of the neck yoke by means of chains or straps (also not shown) and the driver takes his seat. )Vhen the team starts forward and is proceeding along in a direct line the parts of this attachment stand at rest as seen in Fig. 1 and the tip of the looking bolt 9 is engaged with the rack 2 of the fifth wheel F whereby the latter is prevented from moving over the reach R so that the front axle A is held stationary and the tongue is caused to stand in rigid alinement with said reach. If now one of the front wheels V should strike a stone or fall into a rut in the roadway such as would ordinarily check the forward progress of the wheel and swing the tongue T violently to one side, the inertia of the wagon and its load applied to both front wheels through the king bolt K and the locking device forces this wheel to proceed at the same speed of the others and causes it to ride over the stone or through the rut; and the result is that the tongue T is not swung to one side and the horses are not impeded in their forward progress. I find by experience that a team can far more easily overcome the resistance set up by encountering such an obstruction in the roadway than it can withstand the blows from a swinging tongue, especially when we remember that a retarded, front wheel must eventually be drawn over the obstruction in any event. If now the driver desires to turn to one side and draws upon the proper rein to steer his team in that direction, the horse on the inside of the curve will move initially a little way to one side from the tongue T and his collar which is connected with the bail 23 willdefiect the latter outward toward the tip of the neck bar N, rock the shaft 27, and swing the lever 26. Assuming that we are turning to the right and referring now to Fig. 8, when the upper end of the lever 26 therein moves out Ward the uppermost rod 25 is drawn to the right while the lowermost rod 25 moves to the left. The lowermost eye 28 slides idly over its rod 29, while the uppermost eye 28 strikes the head 30'of its rod 29 and therefore moves both rods to the right. Referring now to Fig. 7 the movement of the rod 29 swings the bell-crank lever 32 on its pivot 33, and the link 34 is moved forward or drawn farther into the tubular neck bar N. The purpose of locating this link near the center of said neck bar is clear. Its loop 36 stands-almost in the vertical plane of the tongue T as seen in Fig. 1,

, and as the eye 41 of the front end of the rod 40 loosely engages said loop the latter can swing from side to side so as to allow some little play in the connection between these parts which permits one horse to travel a little ahead of the other and the neck bar N to swing slightly on its loose connection with the front end of the tongue as usual. But when the bell crank lever 32 is rocked on its pivot and thelink 34 drawn bodily forward, this forward impulse is communicated to the rod 40, and through the latter to the slide 44 which moves forward through the hole in the king bolt K, and by said slide to the rod 47 which (as best seen in Fig. 2) draws forward on'the lower end of the lever 14 and moves the locking bolt 9 to the rear against the tension of itsspring 10. Thus the tip of this bolt is released from the rack 2 just at a time when the tongue T is about to move to the right by reason of the fact that the team has been guided in that direction, and as soon as the tongue follows the horse on the inside of the curve so that the bail 23 reassumes a vertical position, the tension on the flexible connection is relaxed and the spring 10 again expands and reengages the tip of the bolt with said rack so that the parts are locked in this position with the tongue deflected from alinement with the reach, and the team can be driven around a long curve as well as a short one. -I-Iaving reached the end of the curve, when the driver desires to resume a straight path, he draws on the opposite rein and the other horse swings the other bail 23 in the opposite direction so that the operation is reversed, the tip of the bolt is disengaged from the rack 2, the tongue T permitted to resume alinement with the reach R, and then again when the left hand bail 23 resumes its vertical position the tip of the bolt reengages the rack and the parts are looked as at first. Thus it will be seen that this attachment permits the vehicle with which it is connected to have all the ordinary movements that such wagons now possess, locks the tongue and front axle against lateral deflection when the team is proceeding forward along a direct line, automatically retracts the locking bolt as soon as the driver desires to steer aside in either direction, again locks the parts in their new position if the curve is of sufficientlength to permit the bails 23 to assume their normal position while the vehicle is traveling around the curve, and finally retracts the bolt when the driver has reached the end of the curve and resumes a straight path. As above stated, any suitable form of flexible connection may be employed in place of the one described, although I prefer that for the reasons given.

This attachment is of such nature that it can be applied to the ordinary wagon with the expenditure of but little labor and expense, provided a new neck yoke bar N is substituted for that now in general use and the rack 2 is added to the fifth wheel or is attached to the wagon if the wagon has no fifth wheel. I 7

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a device for steadying vehicles, the combination with a rack carried by the fifth wheel, a bolt carried by the reach in rear of said rack, means for pressing the tip of the bolt normally into engagement with said rack, and a lever engaging said bolt; of a tubular neck yoke bar having a horizontal rock shaft journaled through each extremity, a bail whose ends are rigidly connected with the ends of said shaft and whose center is connected with the collar of either horse, a rock lever rigidly secured ,to said shaft within the bar, a link loosely mounted through a hole in said bar near its center, flexible connections between its rear end andsaid bolt-operating lever, and means whereby the swinging of either bail and rocking of its shaft moves said link forward through the neck yoke bar.

2. In a device for steadying vehicles, the combination with a rack carried by the fifth wheel, a bolt carried by the reach in rear of said rack, means for pressing the tip of the bolt normally into engagement with said rack, and a lever engaging said bolt; of a tubular neck yoke bar having a horizontal rock shaft journaled through each extremity, a bail whose ends are rigidly connected with the ends of said shaft and whose center is connected with the collar of either horse, a rock lever rigidly secured to said shaft with in the bar, a link loosely mounted through a hole in said bar near its center, flexible connections between its-rear end and said boltoperating lever, rods connecting said rock levers in pairs and extending throughout the length of said neck yoke bar, and connections between said rods and the link whereby the swinging of either bail in either direction will move both said rods and their movement is communicated to said link and through the latter to said boltopcrating lever.

3. In a device for st-eadying vehicles, the combination with a rack carried by the fifth wheel, a bolt carried by the reach in rear of said rack, means for pressing the tip of the bolt normally into engagement with said rack, and a lever engaging said bolt; of a tubular neck yoke bar having a horizontal rock shaft ournaled through each extremity, a bail whose ends are rigidly connected with the ends of said shaft and whose center is connected with the collar of either horse, a rock lever rigidly secured to said shaft within the bar, rods connecting the upper and lower ends of said rock levers and extending throughout the length of the neck yoke bar, an eye on each rod, two rods playing freely through said eyes and each having a head at one extremity, a bell-crank lever to which the other extremities are pivoted, a link loosely connected with the bell-crank lever, and flexible connections between said link and the bolt-operating lever.

4. In a device for steadying vehicles, the

combination with a spring-actuated bolt mechanism for normally locking the front axle and tongue in the positions they as sume around the king bolt; of a neck yoke bar having rock shafts through its ex- 3O tremities, bails connected with said shaft and the horses collars, rock levers mounted on said shafts within said bar, parallel rods connecting their extremities in pairs, eyes on said rods, each eye being enlarged toward 35 both ends of its axis, rods loosely engaging said eyes and having nuts adjustable thereon at one side of the eyes, and flexible connections between the other extremities of said rods and said locking mechanism for 40 ALFRED DUBE.

Witnesses ALBERT L. BOWEN, ROBERT MILLS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

